Dental film holder



March 9 1926 Q P. WIENS DENTAL FILM HOLDER Filed April 11, 1925 U I ED STATES,

Patented Mar. 9, 1926.

PETER WIENS, or PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

DENTAL FILM HOLDER;

Applicationfiled April 11, 1925. Serial No; 22,469.

To all whom it may concern: v

" Be it known that I, PETER WIE-Ns, a, citi- ,zen of the United States, residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have. invented new and useful Improvements in Dental Film Holder's;,a-nd I do hereby'declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, ,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap'pertainsto make and use the same.

This invention pertains to a holder for X- ray films. It has particularly to do, however, with a new form of device to be held .between the teeth of a patient of whose teeth an X-ray picture is to be made.

An object of the invention is to provide "a simple and exceedingly convenient form of device that will securely hold a film in a desired position between the teeth of a patient with'theleast amount of discomfort. I

Another objectis to provide a film holder in the form of a clamping forceps, to one of the jaws of which a relatively soft member or lug is attached into which the teeth of the patient may set without harm or discomfort ,thereto. Still'another object is the provision of a form of device that after being clamped upon a film can be automatically and posi' tively locked without chance of the film moving with respect thereto,

In addition to the above objects the invention relates to certain details of construction to be pointed out herein and form the subject of some of the claims.

In the appended drawing forming part hereof,

' Figure 1 is a plan of my invention.

Figure 2 shows a part of the same in perspective with a film represented therewith in clamping position.

Figure 3 is a transverse section of parts of the device with the clamped film, illustrating the manner of holding the said device between the teeth, and

Figure 4C shows certain parts in perspective illustrating a locking means.

The device consists of a forceps-like arrangement which includes two jaws 1 and 2 on handles 1 and 2' respectively pivoted together at 3 and havingany convenient forms of finger grips 4c.

The clamping face of each jaw is preferably provided with teeth or serrations 5 whlch may mesh and a film denoted at 6 is adapted to be firmly gripped between them,

appearing in use as showninFlgure 2.

Distant from the pivot'at 3 on the handle portions are extending portions one of them being denoted at 7 on the portion .2, the

other at 8 being on the portion 1'. The last 7 named portion 8 has 'a series of ratchet teeth 9 on one of; its surfaces while the portion-7 terminates in a latch 10 adapted to interlock with any one of said teeth.

Aifixed in any desired mannertoone of I the jaws, in this instance the jaw 2, is a lug 11 which is fiat inform and of a spread substantially in .the 1 proportion shown though its size maybe alteredas found most desirable in practice. It may be fairly thin sothat the jaws of the patient, between which said lug is held, need not be too widely spread. As shown, the lug lies inthe plane of the device and as shownin Figure .3 is clamped between the upper; and lower sets of the teeth of the patient, the clamped film lying at right angles to the plane of said lug 1n ust the correct position for making the X-ray picture.

' When the film-is clamped and locked in position by the described latch 10 and teeth 9, or their equivalent, the device can be freely handled and adjusted in position be tween the patient7s teeth without danger of said film becoming dislodged oreven moving in any way with respect to the jaws 1,:2. Due to the relativelyflat and thin formof the device andits considerable length it can be inserted in the mouth of the patient and properly adjusted without the hands of the operator coming in contact with the patient.

Depending upon which set of teeth, whether upper or lower, is to be pictured, the film may be adjusted to either of the positions shown in Figure 3, all of which is believed to be clearly understood.

The fact that the clamping surfaces of the jaws lie at right angles to the plane of the lug 11 insures that the film will always be in proper position when the said lug is clamped between the teeth.

In order'to confine the device to dimensions as small as possible it takes the thin narrow form shown and the said lug 11 may be quite narrow as far as the distance from the jaw 2 to its outer edge is concerned. In this way the least amount of 1noutl1space is required and the patient, therefore, will not be greatly inconvenienced.

Since the lug when gripped between the I teeth must support the entire device it is necessary that it be a rigid member and properly affixed to the jaw 2, which may be by soldering for example, but it may be attached otherwise, and it may be of metal of a soft nature or such that the teeth may fairly sink into its surface. The soft metal, it is clear, in yielding under the teeth will provide no discomfort even when held for long periods. Itis to be understood, however, that other soft forms of material may be used so long as they provide suflicient rigidity to support the film in place through the jaws 1, '2.

I claim:

1. A dental film holder including a pair of jaws pivoted to one another between which to clamp a film, and each including a handle, a member extending laterally in a fixed position from one of the jaws in a plane substantially at right angles to the clamping faces of said jaws, and means to positively lock the jaws relatively.

2. A dental film holder including a pair of jaws pivoted to one another between which to clamp a film, and each including a handle, a member aflixed to and extending laterally from one of the jaws adapted to be held between the upper and lower jaws of a patient, the jaws of the holder adapted to clamp the film substantially in a position at right angles to the plane of said member, and means to positively clamp the jaws of the holder relatively.

3. A dental film holder including a pair of jaws pivoted to one another, means to clamp the jaws upon a film, and a member fixed relatively to and extending in a lateral direction from one of the jaws and lying in a plane at right angles to the axis of the pivot of said jaws and substantially at right angles to the plane of the clamped film.

4. A dental film holder including a pair of jaws pivoted to one another, e'a'ch including a handle portion, means on the handle portions to automatically engage for fixing the jaws in clamped position upon a film, and a'member fixed relatively to and extending laterally from one of the jaws, the clamping surfaces of the jaws and said member lying substantially at right angles to one another;

5. A dental film holder including a pair of jaws pivoted to one another adapted to clamp a film between them, and a rigid member fixed relatively to one of the jaws and extending laterally therefrom in a plane substantially at right angles to the axis of the pivot of said jaws, said member having a surface of a nature to permit the teeth of the patient tobe set therein.

. 6. A dental film holder including a pair of jaws pivoted to one another adapted for clamping a film between them, the clamping faces of said jaws lying substantially at right angles to the plane of their pivotal movement, and a rigid member of a relatively soft material fixed relatively to one of the jaws and extending laterally therefrom, the plane of said member lying substantially at right angles to the pivot of the aws.

7. A dental film holder including a pair of jaws pivoted to one another including a handle for each, said jaws adapted for clamping a film between them, the clamping faces of said jaws lying at right angles to the planes of their pivotal movement, a part on each of the handles adapted to cooperate when closing the jaws to auto1natically secure the latter in fixed clamping position upon a film, and a substantially flat soft 7 metal member fixed to one of the jaws and extending laterally therefrom at right angles to the axis of the pivot of said jaws.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

PETER WIENS. 

